Advancing Further Comprehensive Deepening of Reform Steadily and Stably with a Systems Approach

The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [1]1 “Seize the ox nose” (牵住“牛鼻子”) is a Chinese idiom meaning to grasp the key link or the most crucial point in a complex situation. put forward six major principles for further comprehensively deepening reform, and “adhering to a systems approach” is one of them. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC [2]2 “落脚点” (luòjiǎo diǎn) literally means “foothold” or “landing point,” but in this political context it refers to the ultimate goal or fundamental purpose., the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to a systems approach, driving comprehensive deepening of reform to achieve historic great accomplishments, with many fields realizing historic transformations, systemic restructuring, and overall reconstruction. At a new historical starting point, to further comprehensively deepen reform, it is necessary to implement the major principle of “adhering to a systems approach,” enhance the systemic, holistic, and synergistic nature of reform, and better promote the continuous progress of the Party and state’s undertakings.

党的二十届三中全会提出了进一步全面深化改革的六项重大原则，“坚持系统观念”是其中之一。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央坚持系统观念，推动全面深化改革取得历史性伟大成就，许多领域实现历史性变革、系统性重塑、整体性重构。在新的历史起点上，进一步全面深化改革，必须贯彻“坚持系统观念”这个重大原则，增强改革的系统性、整体性、协同性，更好推动党和国家事业不断向前发展。

1. Deeply Grasp the Rich Implications of Adhering to a Systems Approach

1.深刻把握坚持系统观念的丰富意蕴

Adhering to a systems approach is one of the major principles for further comprehensively deepening reform, and it is also a basic experience since reform and opening up, especially the comprehensive deepening of reform in the New Era [3]3 The 20th National Congress of the CPC, held in October 2022, outlined the strategic tasks for the next five years and beyond.. On the new journey [4]4 "Four beams and eight pillars" (四梁八柱) is a Chinese architectural metaphor for the main supporting framework of a structure, used here to describe the fundamental components of the institutional system., it is necessary to deeply grasp the rich implications of adhering to a systems approach, continue to integrate a systems approach into all work of the Party and state, and constantly open up new prospects for economic and social development.

坚持系统观念是进一步全面深化改革的重大原则之一，也是改革开放以来特别是新时代全面深化改革的一条基本经验。新征程上，要深刻把握坚持系统观念的丰富意蕴，继续把系统观念贯穿于党和国家各项工作中，不断开创经济社会发展新局面。

It enriches and develops the Marxist view of systems. Dialectical materialism holds that things are universally connected, that things and their elements influence and constrain each other, and that the entire world is an interconnected whole and an interacting system. The Marxist view of systems, based on dialectical materialism, emphasizes that objective things are moving and changing “aggregates of processes,” that society is a constantly developing living organism, and that problems should be analyzed from the perspective of universal connection, comprehensive system, and developmental change. Adhering to a systems approach is an important component of the worldview and methodology of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must be good at seeing reality through history, discerning the essence through phenomena, and properly handling the relationships between the whole and the part, the present and the long term, the macro and the micro, the principal contradiction and secondary contradictions, and the special and the general, continuously improving our capabilities in strategic thinking, historical thinking, dialectical thinking, systems thinking, innovative thinking, rule-of-law thinking, and bottom-line thinking, so as to provide scientific thinking methods for forward-looking consideration, overall planning, and holistic advancement of all Party and state undertakings.” [5]5 Quotation from Xi Jinping's remarks on reform, source unspecified in the original text. This important exposition clarifies the connotation and requirements of adhering to a systems approach, proposing to connect history and reality, discern phenomena and essence, properly handle five major relationships, and improve seven types of thinking capabilities, thereby enriching and developing the Marxist view of systems.

丰富和发展了马克思主义系统观。唯物辩证法认为，事物是普遍联系的，事物及事物各要素相互影响、相互制约，整个世界是相互联系的整体，也是相互作用的系统。马克思主义系统观以唯物辩证法为基础，强调客观事物是运动变化的“过程的集合体”，社会是不断发展着的活的有机体，要用普遍联系的、全面系统的、发展变化的观点分析问题。坚持系统观念是习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想的世界观和方法论的重要内容。习近平总书记指出：“我们要善于通过历史看现实、透过现象看本质，把握好全局和局部、当前和长远、宏观和微观、主要矛盾和次要矛盾、特殊和一般的关系，不断提高战略思维、历史思维、辩证思维、系统思维、创新思维、法治思维、底线思维能力，为前瞻性思考、全局性谋划、整体性推进党和国家各项事业提供科学思想方法。”这一重要论述明确了坚持系统观念的内涵和要求，提出要贯通历史与现实、洞悉现象与本质，把握好五大关系，提高七种思维能力，丰富和发展了马克思主义系统观。

It is a summary of the experience of the CPC’s long-term struggle. Dialectical materialism is the worldview and methodology of Chinese Communists. In the course of leading the people in revolution, construction, and reform, Chinese Communists have always adhered to and applied a systems approach to understand and transform the world. During the period of the New Democratic Revolution, Chinese Communists, on the basis of systematically overcoming the errors of “Left” dogmatism, adhered to the unity of theory and practice, the consistency of the subjective and the objective, scientifically grasped the relationships between the part and the whole, the immediate and the long term in the revolutionary process, systematically proposed strategic and tactical approaches suited to China’s national conditions, and explored the correct revolutionary path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing state power by armed force. During the period of socialist revolution and construction, Chinese Communists applied a systems approach to comprehensively plan the development of productive forces and the transformation of relations of production, advancing in an integrated manner the “One Transformation and Three Reforms” [6]6 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Marx,” *People’s Daily*, May 5, 2018., and proposed the general line for the transition period; they comprehensively analyzed the Ten Major Relationships in socialist construction, correctly handled contradictions among the people, and formed important theoretical achievements in the preliminary exploration of the path of socialist construction. During the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the CPC united and led the people of all ethnic groups across the country to apply a systems approach to explore the laws of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, correctly handled major relationships such as “one central task” and “two basic points” [7]7 A classical Chinese expression from the *Doctrine of the Mean* (《中庸》), meaning to achieve both broad understanding and meticulous attention to detail., getting rich first and common prosperity, material civilization and cultural-ethical progress, and economic construction and social construction, systematically resolved risks and challenges from various sources, and continuously advanced the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

中国共产党长期奋斗的经验总结。辩证唯物主义是中国共产党人的世界观和方法论。在领导人民进行革命、建设和改革历程中，中国共产党人始终坚持和运用系统观念来认识世界、改造世界。新民主主义革命时期，中国共产党人在系统克服“左”倾教条主义错误基础上，坚持理论与实践相统一、主观与客观相一致，科学把握革命进程中局部与整体、眼前和长远等关系，系统提出适合中国国情的战略战术，探索出农村包围城市、武装夺取政权的正确革命道路。社会主义革命和建设时期，中国共产党人运用系统观念，统筹谋划生产力的发展和生产关系的变革，一体推进“一化三改”，提出了过渡时期的总路线；全面分析社会主义建设中的十大关系，正确处理人民内部矛盾，形成了社会主义建设道路初步探索的重要理论成果。改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，中国共产党团结带领全国各族人民运用系统观念探索中国特色社会主义建设规律，正确处理“一个中心”与“两个基本点”、先富与共富、物质文明建设与精神文明建设、经济建设与社会建设等重大关系，系统化解来自各方面的风险挑战，把中国特色社会主义事业不断推向前进。

It is a foundational thought and working method on the new journey. A scientific worldview and methodology is the “master key” for studying and solving problems. Any thing is an organic whole composed of elements; the systemic mode of existence of things themselves determines that people’s mode of thinking must correspond to it. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that “a systems approach is a foundational thought and working method.” [8]8 A term used by Xi Jinping to refer to the major issues concerning the overall interests of the Party and the state, such as national security, development strategy, and the well-being of the people. Economic and social development is a systematic project; comprehensively deepening reform is a complex systematic project; building a new development pattern is a systematic project; implementing the innovation-driven development strategy is a systematic project; comprehensively advancing law-based governance is a systematic project… Therefore, on the new journey, to advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization, it is necessary to adhere to a systems approach, place all Party and state undertakings under systematic examination, comprehensively analyze the interconnections and interactions between various systems, between the whole and parts of a system, and between elements within a system, analyze problems comprehensively rather than one-sidedly, systematically rather than fragmentarily, and achieve overall consideration, scientific planning, and holistic advancement.

新征程上具有基础性的思想和工作方法。科学的世界观和方法论是研究问题、解决问题的“总钥匙”。任何事物都是由要素构成的有机整体，事物本身的系统存在方式决定了人们的思维方式必须与之相对应。习近平总书记指出，“系统观念是具有基础性的思想和工作方法”。经济社会发展是一个系统工程，全面深化改革是一项复杂的系统工程，构建新发展格局是一个系统工程，实施创新驱动发展战略是一项系统工程，全面依法治国是一个系统工程……因此，新征程上，以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业要坚持运用系统观念，把党和国家各项事业置于系统中加以考察，综合分析各系统之间、系统的整体与部分之间、系统内部各要素之间的相互联系、相互作用，全面地而不是片面地、系统地而不是零散地分析问题，做到统筹兼顾、科学谋划、整体推进。

2. Adhering to a Systems Approach Is an Urgent Need for Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform

2.坚持系统观念是进一步全面深化改革的迫切需要

Reform is a key move that determines the fate of contemporary China. China’s reform has entered a deep-water zone, and what remains are

改革是决定当代中国命运的关键一招。我国改革已进入深水区，剩下的都是难啃的“硬骨头”。进一步全面深化改革面临的形势越复杂、肩负的任务越艰巨，就越要坚持系统观念。

Adhering to a systems approach is an urgent necessity for achieving the overarching goal of further comprehensively deepening reform. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC [1]1 “Seize the ox nose” (牵住“牛鼻子”) is a Chinese idiom meaning to grasp the key link or the most crucial point in a complex situation. clarified the overarching goal of further comprehensively deepening reform: to continue improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to modernize the national governance system and governance capacity. This overarching goal is consistent with the overarching goal of comprehensively deepening reform set at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CPC [2]2 “落脚点” (luòjiǎo diǎn) literally means “foothold” or “landing point,” but in this political context it refers to the ultimate goal or fundamental purpose., and it aligns with the strategic deployments made at the 20th National Congress of the CPC [3]3 The 20th National Congress of the CPC, held in October 2022, outlined the strategic tasks for the next five years and beyond., thereby providing clear goal orientation for further comprehensively deepening reform. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics is a rigorous and complete scientific institutional system, with fundamental institutions, basic institutions, and important institutions constituting the "four beams and eight pillars" [4]4 "Four beams and eight pillars" (四梁八柱) is a Chinese architectural metaphor for the main supporting framework of a structure, used here to describe the fundamental components of the institutional system. of the institutional system of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Only when institutions that function independently are interconnected and mutually supportive can the overall advantage of the national institutional system be formed. Modern national governance is a systematic project, encompassing numerous and highly interrelated fields. In the governance practices of various fields, optimizing governance effectiveness is inseparable from the coordinated cooperation of elements such as Party committee leadership, government leadership, social coordination, citizen participation, and rule-of-law guarantees. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Reform now faces more deep-seated institutional and mechanistic issues, requiring higher demands on the top-level design of reform and stronger demands on the systemic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform; correspondingly, the tasks of establishing rules and regulations and building systems are heavier." [5]5 Quotation from Xi Jinping's remarks on reform, source unspecified in the original text. To achieve the overarching goal of further comprehensively deepening reform, it is necessary to apply a systems approach and actively construct a systematic, complete, scientific, standardized, and effective institutional system and governance system.

坚持系统观念是实现进一步全面深化改革总目标的迫切需要。党的二十届三中全会明确了进一步全面深化改革的总目标：继续完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度，推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化。这个总目标同党的十八届三中全会提出的全面深化改革总目标一脉相承，同党的二十大作出的战略部署相衔接，为进一步全面深化改革明确了目标导向。中国特色社会主义制度是一个严密完整的科学制度体系，根本制度、基本制度、重要制度构成中国特色社会主义制度体系的“四梁八柱”。只有各自独立发挥作用的制度彼此关联、互为支撑，才能形成整体性国家制度优势。现代国家治理是一项系统工程，所涵盖的领域繁多且彼此高度关联。在各领域的治理实践中，实现治理效能最优化都离不开党委领导、政府主导、社会协同、公民参与、法治保障等要素的协调配合。习近平总书记指出，“改革更多面对的是深层次体制机制问题，对改革顶层设计的要求更高，对改革的系统性、整体性、协同性要求更强，相应地建章立制、构建体系的任务更重”。实现进一步全面深化改革总目标要运用系统观念，积极构建系统完备、科学规范、运行有效的制度体系和治理体系。

Adhering to a systematic approach is an urgent necessity for addressing the major risks and challenges encountered in further deepening reform comprehensively. At present, the issues involved in further deepening reform comprehensively are unprecedented in their number, breadth, and depth. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “Reform is driven by problems and deepened in the process of continuously solving them.” China’s development still faces many difficulties and problems that urgently need resolution. For example, the problem of unbalanced and inadequate development remains prominent; there are still many bottlenecks and obstacles to advancing high-quality development; scientific and technological innovation capacity is still insufficient; ensuring the reliable security of food, energy, and industrial and supply chains, as well as preventing financial risks, still requires solving many major problems; there are still many tough challenges to tackle in key areas of reform; there are many challenges in the ideological sphere; the gap in development between urban and rural areas and among regions, as well as in income distribution, remains relatively large; the people face many difficulties in employment, education, medical care, childcare, elderly care, housing, and other areas; the task of protecting the ecological environment remains arduous; some Party members and cadres lack a sense of responsibility, are not strong in their ability to struggle, lack the spirit of practical work, and the phenomena of formalism and bureaucracy are still relatively prominent; the task of eradicating the soil that breeds corruption remains arduous, and so on. To effectively solve these problems, we must adhere to a systematic approach, distinguish between primary and secondary issues, the difficult and the easy, grasp the key problems, seize the “ox nose”[1]1 “Seize the ox nose” (牵住“牛鼻子”) is a Chinese idiom meaning to grasp the key link or the most crucial point in a complex situation., and use the resolution of the principal contradiction to drive the resolution of other contradictions, thereby promoting the smooth progress of the overall work.

坚持系统观念是应对进一步全面深化改革中重大风险挑战的迫切需要。当前，进一步全面深化改革涉及问题之多、领域之广、矛盾之深前所未有。习近平总书记指出，“改革是由问题倒逼而产生，又在不断解决问题中得以深化”。我国发展仍有不少困难和问题亟待解决，比如发展不平衡不充分问题仍然突出，推进高质量发展还有许多卡点瓶颈，科技创新能力还不强；确保粮食、能源、产业链供应链可靠安全和防范金融风险还要解决许多重大问题；重点领域改革还有不少硬骨头要啃；意识形态领域存在不少挑战；城乡区域发展和收入分配差距仍然较大；群众在就业、教育、医疗、托育、养老、住房等方面面临不少难题；生态环境保护任务依然艰巨；一些党员、干部缺乏担当精神，斗争本领不强，实干精神不足，形式主义、官僚主义现象仍较突出；铲除腐败滋生土壤任务依然艰巨，等等。切实解决这些问题，要坚持系统观念，辨别主次难易，抓住关键问题，牵住“牛鼻子”，以主要矛盾的解决带动其他矛盾的解决，推动全局工作顺利开展。

Adhering to a systematic approach is an urgent necessity for enhancing the systemic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform. As reform deepens, the interconnectedness and interactivity of reforms in various fields and links have significantly increased. Every reform has an important impact on other reforms, and every reform requires the coordination and cooperation of other reforms. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out, “To further deepen reform, we must pay more attention to its systemic, holistic, and coordinated nature, and promote reforms in important areas and key links in a coordinated manner.” Emphasizing systemic, holistic, and coordinated nature is an important experience from China’s reform and opening up and an inherent requirement for further deepening reform comprehensively. To enhance the systemic, holistic, and coordinated nature of reform, we must raise our ideological understanding, consciously apply a systematic approach to the actual work of reform and development, continuously strengthen top-level design and overall planning, ensure the coordination and matching of various reform measures, prevent each from going its own way and acting independently, and promote reform measures in various fields and aspects to exert force in the same direction and form a synergy, thereby opening up new horizons for the development of our cause amidst complex situations.

坚持系统观念是增强改革系统性、整体性、协同性的迫切需要。随着改革不断深入，各个领域各个环节改革的关联性互动性明显增强，每一项改革都会对其他改革产生重要影响，每一项改革又都需要其他改革协同配合。习近平总书记指出，“进一步深化改革，必须更加注重改革的系统性、整体性、协同性，统筹推进重要领域和关键环节改革”。注重系统性、整体性、协同性，是我国改革开放取得成功的重要经验，也是进一步全面深化改革的内在要求。增强改革系统性、整体性、协同性，要提高思想认识，自觉将系统观念运用于改革发展实际工作之中，不断加强顶层设计和统筹谋划，确保各项改革举措的协调配套，防止各行其是、各自为政，推动各领域各方面改革举措同向发力、形成合力，在复杂局面中打开事业发展新天地。

3. Adhering to a systematic approach requires handling several pairs of relationships

3.坚持系统观念必须处理好几对关系

Over the past 40-plus years of reform and opening up, especially since the New Era, our Party has planned and promoted reform with an overall perspective and systematic thinking, using economic system reform as the driving force, and has comprehensively planned and effectively resolved institutional obstacles, mechanistic bottlenecks, and policy-related problems in various fields and aspects. To adhere to a systematic approach in further deepening reform comprehensively, it is necessary to handle the major relationships between economy and society, government and market, efficiency and fairness, vitality and order, and development and security.

改革开放40多年来特别是新时代以来，我们党以全局观念和系统思维谋划推进改革，以经济体制改革为牵引，统筹谋划、有力有序解决各领域各方面体制性障碍、机制性梗阻、政策性问题。坚持系统观念进一步全面深化改革，就要处理好经济和社会、政府和市场、效率和公平、活力和秩序、发展和安全等重大关系。

Handle the relationship between economy and society. Economic development is the foundation of social development, and promoting social development and progress is the purpose of economic development. Economic development and social development and progress are not entirely synchronized. If deviations occur in the concepts and methods of economic development, leading to polarization, it will intensify social contradictions, affect social stability, and in turn hinder economic development. Therefore, it is necessary to coordinate reforms in the economic and social fields, better integrate economic construction with social construction. We must both adhere to taking economic construction as the central task, promoting sustained economic development, and implement the new development concept, ensuring and improving people’s livelihoods amid economic development, making up for weaknesses and shortcomings in the field of social construction, following the path of common prosperity, enhancing social harmony and stability, and achieving positive interaction and coordinated development between the economy and society.

处理好经济和社会的关系。经济发展是社会发展的基础，推动社会发展进步是经济发展的目的。经济发展与社会发展进步并非完全同步。如果经济发展的理念和方法出现偏差，导致两极分化，就会激化社会矛盾，影响社会稳定，反过来又会阻碍经济发展。因此，要统筹经济领域和社会领域的改革，把经济建设和社会建设更好结合起来，既要坚持以经济建设为中心，推动经济持续发展，又要贯彻新发展理念，在经济发展中保障和改善民生，补足社会建设领域存在的短板弱项，走好共同富裕之路，增进社会的和谐稳定，实现经济和社会的良性互动与协调发展。

Handle the relationship between government and market. Developing a socialist market economy is a great creation of our Party. How to correctly handle the relationship between government and market is the core issue of China’s socialist market economic system reform. As important means of resource allocation, the government is the “visible hand”; excessive intervention will cause the market to lose its due vitality. The market is the “invisible hand”; letting it develop unchecked will lead to a state of disorder. It is necessary to use dialectical thinking to view the relationship between government and market, and not to separate or oppose the two. In practice, we must both give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, promoting the optimization of resource allocation efficiency and maximization of benefits, and better play the role of the government, maintaining market order and making up for market failures, achieving an organic combination of an effective market and a competent government.

处理好政府和市场的关系。发展社会主义市场经济是我们党的一个伟大创造。如何正确处理政府和市场的关系，是我国社会主义市场经济体制改革的核心问题。作为配置资源的重要手段，政府是“看得见的手”，过度干预会导致市场失去应有的活力；市场是“看不见的手”，任其发展则会导致无序状态。要运用辩证思维看待政府和市场的关系，不能把二者割裂开来、对立起来。在实践中既要充分发挥市场在资源配置中的决定性作用，推动资源配置实现效率最优化和效益最大化，又要更好发挥政府作用，维护市场秩序、弥补市场失灵，实现有效市场与有为政府有机结合。

Handle the relationship between efficiency and fairness. Efficiency means the effective allocation of resources and is the foundation for maintaining fairness. Without efficiency, there is no economic development, and fairness becomes water without a source and a tree without roots. Fairness means the reasonable distribution of interests among members of society and is a condition for improving efficiency. Without fairness, it is impossible to mobilize the enthusiasm of the vast majority of people, making it difficult to form a social situation of sustained efficiency growth. Efficiency and fairness are mutually conditional and mutually reinforcing, unified in the great practice of Chinese-path modernization. To correctly handle the relationship between efficiency and fairness, we must solidly promote high-quality economic development, while at the same time making the realization of the people’s aspiration for a better life the starting point and落脚点[2]2 “落脚点” (luòjiǎo diǎn) literally means “foothold” or “landing point,” but in this political context it refers to the ultimate goal or fundamental purpose. of modernization, upholding social fairness and justice, and better achieving the balance, promotion, and unity of efficiency and fairness.

处理好效率和公平的关系。效率意味着资源的有效配置，是维护公平的基础。没有效率就没有经济的发展，公平就成了无源之水、无本之木。公平意味着社会成员间利益合理分配，是提升效率的条件。没有公平就无法调动绝大多数人的积极性，难以形成效率持续增长的社会局面。效率和公平互为条件、相互促进，统一于中国式现代化伟大实践之中。正确处理好效率和公平的关系，就要扎实推动经济高质量发展，同时把实现人民对美好生活的向往作为现代化建设的出发点和落脚点，维护社会公平正义，更好实现效率与公平相兼顾、相促进、相统一。

Handle the relationship between vitality and order. Vitality refers to the vigorous vitality of social development. If society lacks vitality, the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the broad masses of the people are difficult to mobilize. Order refers to the state of society being well-organized. Without good social order, economic and social development is difficult to advance steadily, and the entire society will also lose its vitality. Vitality and order are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Good social order is the foundation for stimulating social vitality, and the release of social vitality will further consolidate good social order. To handle the relationship between vitality and order, it is necessary to establish and improve various incentive mechanisms, stimulate and enhance the innovation vitality of the whole society, allow the vitality of all factors of production to burst forth, and all sources of wealth creation to flow fully, while at the same time adhering to systematic governance, law-based governance, comprehensive governance, and source governance, achieving a situation where the people live and work in peace and contentment and society is stable and orderly.

处理好活力和秩序的关系。活力是指社会发展旺盛的生命力。社会缺乏活力，广大人民群众的积极性、主动性、创造性就难以调动起来。秩序是指社会有条不紊的状态。没有良好的社会秩序，经济社会发展难以稳步推进，整个社会也将失去活力。活力与秩序相互依存、相互促进。良好的社会秩序是激发社会活力的基础，社会活力的焕发则会进一步巩固良好的社会秩序。处理好活力和秩序的关系，要建立健全各种激励机制，激发和增强全社会创新活力，让一切生产要素的活力竞相迸发，一切创造财富的源泉充分涌流，同时坚持系统治理、依法治理、综合治理、源头治理，实现人民安居乐业、社会安定有序。

Handle the relationship between development and security. Development is the Party’s top priority in governing and rejuvenating the country, and high-quality development is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects. National security is a matter of paramount importance, and safeguarding national security is the fundamental interest of all ethnic groups in the country. Only by building a strong national security shield can high-quality development proceed smoothly. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security. To handle the relationship between development and security, we must unswervingly promote high-quality development, continuously enhance China’s comprehensive national strength, consolidate the foundation of national security, while at the same time implement a holistic approach to national security, improve the national security system, enhance the capacity to safeguard national security, adhere to giving equal weight to development and security, and promote a positive interaction between high-quality development and high-level security.

处理好发展和安全的关系。发展是党执政兴国的第一要务，高质量发展是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的首要任务。国家安全是头等大事，维护国家安全是全国各族人民根本利益所在。筑牢国家安全屏障，高质量发展才能顺利推进。安全是发展的前提，发展是安全的保障。处理好发展和安全的关系，就要坚定不移推动高质量发展，不断提升我国综合国力，夯实国家安全的基础，同时贯彻总体国家安全观，健全国家安全体系，增强维护国家安全能力，坚持发展和安全并重，推动实现高质量发展和高水平安全良性互动。

4. Enhancing the conscious action of adhering to a systematic approach

4.增强坚持系统观念的行动自觉

Adhering to a systematic approach is both a worldview and a methodology. It is the “bridge” and “boat” for solving problems and has a distinct practical character. Deepening reform comprehensively is the linkage and integration of reforms and improvements in various fields. On the new journey, we must further enhance our conscious action, adhere to and apply well the major principle of adhering to a systematic approach, and push forward the further deepening of reform comprehensively.

坚持系统观念既是世界观又是方法论，是解决问题的“桥”和“船”，具有鲜明的实践品格。全面深化改革是各领域改革和改进的联动与集成。新征程上，要进一步增强行动自觉，把坚持系统观念这一重大原则坚持好运用好，把进一步全面深化改革推向前进。

Strengthen theoretical study. Consciousness in action stems from clarity in theory; strengthening theoretical study is the foundation and prerequisite for enhancing a systems approach. General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: “Marxist philosophy profoundly reveals the general laws of the objective world, especially the development of human society, and still possesses strong vitality in the present era, remaining a powerful ideological weapon guiding us Communists forward.” [6]6 Xi Jinping, “Speech at the Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Karl Marx,” *People’s Daily*, May 5, 2018. As an important category of Marxist philosophy, the systems approach is built on the foundation of dialectical materialism. For our Party to unite and lead the people in further comprehensively deepening reform, it must continuously study and apply dialectical materialism, consciously receive the nourishment of Marxist philosophical wisdom, deeply understand the scientific connotation of the systems approach, know not only its words but also its meaning, know not only what it is but also why it is so, oppose mechanistic, dogmatic and other metaphysical modes of thinking, and actively promote consciousness in action through ideological consciousness.

加强理论学习。行动上的自觉来源于理论上的清醒，加强理论学习是增强系统观念的基础和前提。习近平总书记指出：“马克思主义哲学深刻揭示了客观世界特别是人类社会发展一般规律，在当今时代依然有着强大生命力，依然是指导我们共产党人前进的强大思想武器。”系统观念作为马克思主义哲学的重要范畴，建立在辩证唯物主义基础之上。我们党要团结带领人民进一步全面深化改革，必须不断学习和运用辩证唯物主义，自觉接受马克思主义哲学智慧的滋养，深刻理解系统观念的科学内涵，知其言更知其义、知其然更知其所以然，反对机械主义、教条主义等形而上学的思维方法，以思想自觉积极推动行动自觉。

Grasp the practical requirements of adhering to the systems approach. China is a large developing country, still in the primary stage of socialism, undergoing extensive and profound social changes; advancing reform, development and adjusting interest relations often affects the whole if one part is touched. Adhering to the systems approach requires strengthening forward-looking thinking, overall planning, strategic layout and holistic advancement in reform practice, so as to push forward the cause of reform and opening up. Doing forward-looking thinking well requires handling the relationship between the present and the long term, accurately grasping the inevitable trends of things from their current state of development, keenly discerning favorable and unfavorable factors that may appear on the road ahead, and scientifically foreseeing the future trajectory of the situation. Strengthening overall planning requires coordinating the relationship between the whole and the parts, balancing local interests with overall interests, so as to both add luster to one region and contribute to the whole picture. Constructing a strategic layout requires planning the relationship between the macro and the micro, raising one’s standpoint, broadening one’s vision, adhering to “attaining breadth and exhausting subtlety,” [7]7 A classical Chinese expression from the *Doctrine of the Mean* (《中庸》), meaning to achieve both broad understanding and meticulous attention to detail. both keeping in mind the “great affairs of the state” [8]8 A term used by Xi Jinping to refer to the major issues concerning the overall interests of the Party and the state, such as national security, development strategy, and the well-being of the people. and implementing details well to ensure practical results. Achieving holistic advancement requires grasping the relationship between primary and secondary contradictions, emphasizing coordination and cooperation among the various elements and levels of things, both highlighting key points to drive the whole and making overall plans and comprehensive balances, preventing lopsided emphasis, and enhancing overall effectiveness.

把握坚持系统观念的实践要求。我国是一个发展中大国，仍处于社会主义初级阶段，正在经历广泛而深刻的社会变革，推进改革发展、调整利益关系往往牵一发而动全身。坚持系统观念要在改革实践中加强前瞻性思考、全局性谋划、战略性布局和整体性推进，推动改革开放事业不断向前发展。做好前瞻性思考要处理好当前和长远关系，从事物发展现状中准确把握事物发展的必然趋势，敏锐洞悉前进道路上可能出现的有利条件和不利因素，科学预见形势发展的未来走势。强化全局性谋划要统筹好全局与局部的关系，统筹兼顾局部利益与全局利益，做到既为一域增光、又为全局添彩。构建战略性布局要谋划好宏观和微观的关系，提高站位、拓宽视野，坚持“致广大而尽精微”，既胸怀“国之大者”，又落细做好，务求实效。实现整体性推进要把握好主次矛盾的关系，强调事物各要素、各层次之间的协同和配合，既要突出重点、带动全局，又要统筹兼顾、综合平衡，防止畸重畸轻，提升整体效能。

Integrate the systems approach throughout the entire process of further comprehensively deepening reform. Further comprehensively deepening reform involves the overall work of the Party and the state, all fields of economic and social development, and many major theoretical and practical issues; it is a complex systemic project. Therefore, it is necessary to use a systemic perspective and systemic thinking to plan and advance the measures for further comprehensively deepening reform, ensuring that all reform measures coordinate with each other in policy orientation, promote each other in the implementation process, and complement each other in reform effectiveness. In policy formulation, clarify the guiding ideology, conduct comprehensive planning, strengthen communication and collaboration, ensure that reform measures jointly point toward the overall goal of reform, and enhance the overall effect of reform. In policy implementation, strengthen process coordination between reform measures in key areas and non-key areas, use breakthroughs in key areas to drive overall reform progress, and use overall progress to create conditions for breakthroughs in key areas. In reform effectiveness, adhere to the unity of process and effect, evaluate the implementation effect of reform measures, promptly identify problems in the implementation process and make adjustments, ensure that all policies exert force in the same direction, amplify the superposition effect, and increase the effectiveness of reform.

将系统观念贯穿于进一步全面深化改革全过程。进一步全面深化改革，涉及党和国家工作全局，涉及经济社会发展各领域，涉及许多重大理论和实践问题，是一个复杂的系统工程。因此要运用系统观点和系统思维谋划好推进好进一步全面深化改革的举措，确保各项改革举措在政策取向上相互配合、在实施过程中相互促进、在改革成效上相得益彰。在政策制定方面，明确指导思想，进行全面规划，加强沟通协作，确保改革举措共同指向改革的总体目标，增强改革的整体效果。在政策实施方面，强化重点领域与非重点领域改革举措过程协同，以重点突破带动改革整体推进，以整体推进为重点突破创造条件。在改革成效方面，坚持过程和效果相统一，对改革举措的实施效果进行评估，及时发现实施过程中的问题并予以调整，确保各项政策的同向发力，放大叠加效应，增益改革成效。

Online editor: Paul

网络编辑：保罗